Improved hydropneumatic engine



UNITED STATESv PATENT OFFICE.

` JOHN ADAM HUSS, OF S'l. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

IMPROVED HYDROPNEUMATIC4 ENGINE.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 49,4 l0, dated August 15, 1865.

To all lwhom it may concern Beit known that I, JOHN ADAM Huss, ot' the city of St. Louis, in the county ot' St.

Louis and State ot' Missouri, have invented a ing ot' two disks or plates, the upper one ot" which disks is turned by means otl the double stem or piston (l, whereby apertures are formed inthe plunger when it descends and closed when it rises.

I) E is a cylinder, direrging at an angle ot twenty-fi ve degrees (more or less) indit'erently trom the horizontal, and opening into the lower part ot' the pump A, and consists of an outer tube, l), and an inner tube, E, which inner tube is perforated throughout its entire surface with holes F F, and incasedwith a closely-litting gulli-elastic tube orjacket, G.

H is a space between theV outer and inner tube ot' cylinder I) E, forming an air-chamber tilled with air, and communicating tlnough tube l) with an air-reservoirpl.

J is along tube, with the upper end Opeliing into the lower part ot' a water-reservoir, andthe lower end joining and lfitted to the perforated inner tube, E, of.' the cylinder, and lying in the same direction, and being a continuation or prolongation ot saidinner tube.

K is a supply-pipe connecting air-reservoir I with an engine, IJ, such as isdri ven by steam.

M is a conduit-pipe from the upper part otl the pump A to the upper paitot' the waterreservoir.

N and O are valves in cylinder, N, the lower valve, being for the introduction ot' air into the ainehamber H, and the upper valve, O, for its expulsion through the pipe 'P int air-reservoir I. t

The operation ofthe machine is as follows: Let the water-reservoir I be filled with water, and the same will ,flowJth frh the tube J and cylinder E u y, er li" "anger B, the apertures of the p 11g" c sed and the plunger down and at rest. It' the plunger B be now raised and suddenly stopped,

then the water, following in obedience to` gravitation and atmospheric pressure, will also be suddenly stopped and a concussion produced, and the mechanical effect therefrom will be ast'ollows 'Ihe water will pressthrough the apertures F otl the tube E against the f gum-elastic tube or jacket G, distendingit, and thereby compressing the` air in aireapartment H, and t'orcing'it through valve O' into air-reservoir I, feeding the engineL.` Theconi cussion of thc water having spent its force,` the gumelasticjacket contracts and the press- .i ure of the atmosphere opens valve N, resup-` i plying the partiallyexhausted air-chamber H.' By this time theapertures of plunger Iz?,` are opened by ai rotary motion imparted to` the upper disk ot the samebythe double V piston U, and the plunger descends, and ,the y apertures in it then close, and, bythe com-` bined t'orcc of' the engine from above and the water pressure beneath, it again rises, lifting` the waterabove it, through the conduit-pipe M hack to the reservoir, and `coming againtto a sudden rest, as before, `produces another` concussion' o|` thcwater and pressure on the4 guurelastic tube, `followed by similar effects,`

and so on continuously.` A valve, It, permits t the outiiow ot' the water when required.

The whole machine can 4be constructed according to the appended drawing` and this specification, by any good practical machind ist, out otl the ordinary material and coxubina tions ofl metal employed in the construction ot' the steam-engine.

airpump. v

The ordinary length ot' the, cylinder `D E and pipe J is about twenty-tire t'eet, ot' which the cylinder l) E constitutes' one-half, and the f diameter twelve inches. An increase ot' power can be obtained by increasing .thc length or elevation of said cylinder` and pipe.

Witnesses:

OoTAVIUs KNIGHT, EDWARD H. KNIGHT.`

The air inthe air-rest ervoir I may be condensed sufficiently to raise the plunger for theiirst .concussions by an i Jona ADAMHUss, 1 

